Blood Donor Arm Cleaning–Another Step towards Preventing the Contamination of Blood Products for Transfusion Purposes
Gatt N.
Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Malta.
Gialanze J. P.
National Blood Transfusion Service Malta, Malta.
Spiteri N.
National Blood Transfusion Service Malta, Malta.
Zammit V. *
Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Malta and National Blood Transfusion Service Malta, Malta.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Blood Establishments strive to provide blood and blood derivatives that are safe for transfusion. A recurrent concern is providing blood components that are free from bacterial contamination. Bacterial and fungal contamination of blood products is nowadays a major apprehension when it comes to transfusion adverse events. Over the years, several disinfection products and protocols have been devised to mitigate the risks of such contaminants, nonetheless, sepsis is still the leading cause of transfusion reaction fatalities. This fact raises the question of whether disinfection on its own is sufficient for preventing such outcomes.
Keywords: Contamination, blood products, blood donor, disinfection, cleaning